DIVINE COMEDY
by Anubis Soundwave
Summary: Skyfire tries to protect the life of an ailing doctor-who holds the key to a brighter future for Earth.


TRANSFORMERS: CYBERTRON SAGA

_**AUTOBOTS #22**_: DIVINE COMEDY.

_byline_: Anubis C. Soundwave

_**Scene:**_ 1

"I don't understand what these creeps want with me. I'm just a doctor." A woman looks at her starskimmer's sensor readout: two spacecruisers were tailing the small craft.

"Pirates. I hope I haven't forgotten Colonel Newcastle's flight training." The woman steers the skimmer, trying to evade her ship's pursuers.

The space pirate ships fire on the skimmer.

"Shit!" The woman hails the larger pirate ship. "I have nothing you want; please let me be."

The chief alien pirate snickers, silently ordering his ships to cease fire. "We have to defend our territory. If you have no funds, Dr. Edmonds, perhaps you can repay your debt to my organization with...physical labor."

"Funny, Captain Bilgrox. Except I'd be a poor seller. Not a virgin."

"Excellent. I prefer it when my mates are broken in. Are we agreed, then?" asks Bilgrox.

"No." Edmonds shuts off communications and fires back at the pirate cruisers.

The two attacking spacecruisers resume fire.

_**Scene:**_ 2

_A shooting star...? No. That's not a meteor; it's a starskimmer! _Skyfire alters course and pursues the stricken spacecraft.

In moments he reaches the skimmer...or rather, its burning wreckage. Skyfire transforms and activates fire-suppression systems to put out the flames, then scans for signs of life.

"What the...? The humans would call this a miracle." Skyfire opens the charred hull of the ship.

_**Scene:**_ 3

23 June 1981

"I would like to speak with the human named Hope Aldonza Edmonds." A tall white robot with red and blue trim smiled at Hope.

"T...that'd be me." Hope shook her head in disbelief. "Are you for real, ma'am?"

"I am Dante. And yes," Dante continued, "I am, in fact, 'for real'."

"Why are you here?" asked Hope.

"I came to grant you a rare opportunity, Miss Edmonds," said Dante.

"Doctor."

"Ah. I expected no less of you." Dante transformed into an oversized white jet, to Hope's astonishment. "Would you care to join me?"

"I'm...sure." With a dazed, unbelieving grin on her face, Hope climbed aboard Dante.

_**Scene:**_ 4

Edmonds opens her eyes, watching as a large white robot tends to her injuries. "...Dante...?" she asks.

"That's it, survivor," says Skyfire, giving Edmonds a grim smile. "Stay with me."

"You're...not Dante. She's a woman..."

"I may be the same model as that 'woman'. What's a Earthian doing inside a starskimmer?"

"Failing...to evade...space pirates."

"I'm here to patch you up."

"Forget about me. I haven't...been on Earth in ten years, and I have nothing...keeping me here..."

"Why are you here now?"

"I have...cures for diseases...that are global epidemics-*!" Edmonds coughs. "...here on Earth."

"Any contacts?" asks Skyfire.

Edmonds nods. "U...UNECOM... Newcastle."

"Understood." Skyfire scans an internal database on notable humans, cross-referencing Edmonds' name with General Newcastle's and UNECOM. _Hope,_ he muses._ "An appropriate name for a remarkable woman: Dr. Hope Edmonds._

Skyfire silently radios the Aerialbots to meet at a set of coordinates. _She's endured far too abuse from her own world: her family, her community. She has earned this triumph. Let her see kindness in the heart of her race._

_You won't die, Doctor. I won't let you_. With that thought in mind, Skyfire contacts UNECOM.

_**Scene:**_ 5

"General, you cannot continue doing this." Leader One scowls at Newcastle. "Dr. Braxis is an enemy of both Earth and Gobotron. Did you really think your people could fool Guardian Intelligence?"

Newcastle tenses his fists. "Braxis is also one of our world's top robotics experts. Now that he's locked up in the most secure part of Elba, not even Cy-Kill could break him out."

"While we appreciate your confidence in our prison systems, I've got a burning question: why not let Braxis rot?" asks Turbo.

"This isn't from me-it's from my superiors. UNECOM has invested a great deal in Braxis, and the agency wants a return on its investment. Period."

A soldier enters the briefing room, tapping Newcastle on the shoulder. "General, we're receiving a distress signal from an Autobot."

"Which one?" asks Newcastle. "I'm in a meeting," he adds, nodding towards Leader One and Turbo.

"Skyfire, sir. He's on the line now, and he says it's urgent." The soldier passes Newcastle a slip of paper.

Newcastle reads the message. "I have to cut this grousing session of yours short, gentlemen. Follow me if you want to know why," the general adds as he and the soldier leave the briefing room.

_**Scene:**_ 6

29 July 1981

Outside UNECOM, a US airman and a young doctor in a lab coat continued to argue.

"As for your resignation..." Sergeant Hughes Newcastle revealed a sheet of paper.

The doctor, Hope Edmonds. "That document is confidential, Sergeant." 

"It has been denied." Hughes tore the paper to pieces.

"You..." Hope's eyes widened in shock and hurt. "Hughes, you can't do this."

"Nor can someone break off a marriage engagement without explaining why." Hughes scowled, restrained emotional apparent pain on his face.

"You've moved on. You have a wife, and a beautiful son. I could never have given you the life you wanted."

"Hope." Hughes tensed his fists. "You are a better woman-a stronger woman-than you think you are. You...deserve to be happy."

"It's me, damn it! I'm not whole-I'm not a complete person."

"Do you think you'll discover wholeness with this...giant robot woman?" Hughes looked up at a tall white gynoid.

"My name is Dante." The gynoid smiled briefly. "I'm pleased to meet you."

Hughes responded to Dante. "Sergeant Hughes Newcastle. Regrettably, Miss Dante," Hughes continued, "I cannot say the same."

Dante frowned. "The decision is Hope's alone."

"No. I admit this is petty," said Hughes, giving Hope a pointed look. "Dr. Edmonds will be released at the pleasure of Colonel Newcastle-and not a moment before."

"For the record, Sergeant," said Hope, "I discussed the matter with the colonel when I gave notice to UNECOM of my departure."

"I see." Hughes turned to face Dante. "Is your facility secure?" he asked.

Dante widened an optic. "I beg your pardon?"

"What poses a threat to your world?"

"Ah. There are no threats, Sergeant," Dante answered, "domestic or military. Primus Dei is a small planet fifty light-years-as you call it-from your world. No one knows where we are. We threaten no one; our objectives are peaceful."

"What are these peaceful objectives?" asked a voice, behind Dante and the humans.

_**Scene:**_ 7

Skywarp and Thundercracker cruise the skies.

"Another day, another routine scanning run," says Thundercracker.

"You bored, too, Thunder?"

"Consider it treasonous if you want, partner," continues the sky-blue jetwarrior. "I think we ought to cut our losses with this stupid planet and set up camp elsewhere."

"Megatron makes the rules, remember. Besides, you ain't a traitor; you're just bored."

Thundercracker notes Skyfire and the Aerialbots, the six Autobot jets tearing through the clouds. "Speaking of traitors..."

"Skyfragger and the Aerialbots?" asks Skywarp. "What's their trajectory?"

"Autobot HQ." Thundercracker pursues the Autobot squadron.

"I'm hailing Screamer now." Skywarp teleports beside his wingmate and joins the chase.

_**Scene:**_ 8

"Decepti-bogeys on our six," relays Fireflight through the gestalt LAN.

"How many?" asks Skydive.

"Two... No, three...six..." Fireflight sends an agitated EMP wave. "Too damn many. A swarm of them: closing in on us."

"You're in charge of this, Skyfire," says Silverbolt through a separate LAN connection. "What do we do?"

"Cover me. Power on through. We must reach Headquarters at all costs," answers Skyfire through his LAN with Silverbolt.

"What's the rush, Skyfrag?" taunts Skywarp, firing at the six Autobots.

"Get off his aft!" Slingshot fires at Skywarp. "You ain't his type."

"He was last night," roars Thundercracker, firing sonic attacks along with Dirge.

"We don't have time for the banter," Skyfire snarls through the LAN, evading the Seekers' attacks.

"A traitor and a coward!" crows Starscream, firing relentlessly at Skyfire.

"Damn it!" hisses Skyfire, his voice audible inside his jet mode.

"What's...going on...?" asks Edmonds.

"Decepticons. We'll make it to the rendezvous point." _I swear it_, continues Skyfire to himself.

_Starscream: hate me all you wish. If this woman dies because of you,_ vows Skyfire, _I will send you to hell myself._

_**Scene:**_ 9

29 July 1981

Dante turned to face the newcomer, Colonel Newcastle. "To add our scholarly endeavors to the sum knowledge of the universe."

"A worthy goal." Newcastle glared at the torn paper on the ground. "Sergeant," he said to Hughes, "report to my office immediately."

Hughes saluted Newcastle. "Yes, sir." The young airman turned and left.

"Doctor," said Newcastle to Hope, an apologetic look on his face. "The sergeant's actions were inexcusable-*"

"Don't apologize, sir." Hope smiled at Newcastle. "The sergeant-your son-was expressing his concerns."

"Yes." Newcastle looked up at Dante. "Concerns that I share."

"How may I alleviate them?" asked Dante.

"May I recommend a secure channel between UNECOM-here on Earth-and your systems on Primus Dei?" Newcastle noted Hope's piercing stare. "It can be one-way if you'd like, so that Dr. Edmonds can touch base with us..."

_**Scene:**_ 10

"For the last time, General: who is Edmonds?" asks Leader One. "The Guardians are not in the habit of colluding with subversives." The Guardian jetwarrior glares at Optimus.

"She was one of UNECOM's top medical officers," says Newcastle. "Passionate about her field. Left us in 1981."

"Why?"

"She was given a job offer-an opportunity-she couldn't refuse." _One she earned_, adds Newcastle silently.

Rest-Q arrives with a team of doctors. The human medics exit the Guardian before he transforms. "Where do we set up? I need to report to Leader One."

"Touch base with the Protectobots," says Newcastle.

"The general has already briefed me on the situation," adds Leader One.

Rest-Q salutes and leaves.

"This is personal, isn't it?" says Leader One, as he noticed Newcastle's growing anxiety.

"So: you're not always emotionally tone-deaf."

"Likewise, General."

"She was like a daughter to me-a second child." Newcastle watches as his own son, Major Newcastle, helps Army field medics-Dr. Greer and Dr. Steen-set up a tent in front of the Ark. "If things had worked out differently for Hope and Hughes, she would have been my daughter-in-law."

"Perhaps your son recognized he wasn't able to cope with her...issues." Leader One silently recalled Edmonds' Guardian Intelligence dossier.

"On what basis?" asks Newcastle.

"Personal experience." _Although in retrospect_, muses Leader One, _my parents' selfish ambitions simply orphaned me; I was far more fortunate_.

"Personal...?" Newcastle raises an eyebrow.

"Some people...aren't psychologically suited to the give-and-take that marriage demands."

"Hope was the one who broke it off."

"My point stands."

Newcastle sighs. "I'll check on Greer and Steen, then touch base with Abernathy."

_**Scene:**_ 11

"No. I cannot agree to this, Ratchet. You know why." Optimus glares at the Autobot medic.

"We've done it before, Prime-when someone's life was at stake. Hell," continues Ratchet, "Earth's future is on the line."

"Earth has other scientists working on cures for the same diseases."

"How many of them have the cure for cancer on a data drive?"

"None."

"My proposal has been field-tested and proven."

"At what cost?" Prime tenses his fists. "The first nearly drove a friend mad, and the second... We're still dealing with grief from the Xavier Institute for the second."

"Which wasn't our doing at all-please keep that in mind, Optimus. We had no power over what _they_ did to Katherine."

"A human mind, in... Ratchet: it won't work! Consider Dr. Edmond's past-her history."

"Abandoned by her mama, violated by the males in her family, bounced through the foster care system, fell through the cracks. Also," continues Ratchet, "she fought through all that: she became a doctor and medical scientist. I'd want a femme like that in my foxhole."

Optimus winces.

"I think it's time one of us officers said it: quit patronizing these people, Prime!"

"What?"

"Your audios are functioning, sir. Look: I was the first moron to laugh at the robot ninja-until it _or she_ broke into the Ark. A couple of doddering, senile old men kidnapped hardened Autobot fighters just so one of the fools could hunt you. The less we say about Berger, the better."

"Your point?"

"The sooner we quit underestimating our allies, sir, the better! Edmonds won't be able to survive in her condition; I don't know what..._sorcery_ Skyfire's using to keep her alive now."

"My concern? Unintended consequences. You remember what happened when we shared our technology with our last set of allies." Optimus trembles at a dark memory.

"You don't want our tech to be used in a global civil war on Earth. Guess what, Prime? The humans don't either. They've already weathered three of these slagging conflagarations."

"What of our host sector's massive military buildup, ongoing since the 1980s: the Strategic Defense Initiative?"

"Broke the Soviets' back, and their Union collapsed from within. Our hosts never had to fire their nukes."

"Thanks to Lord Chumley, that was not inevitable."

"One idiot-two idiots if we count Berger-don't break the species. Edmonds ain't like them. She wasn't brainwashed by Soundwave like Katherine. She wasn't downloaded in the braincase of a buggy, kitbashed...Franken-robot the way Spike was."

Optimus rises from his chair. "I will not agree to this. However," he continues, turning his back on Ratchet, "if her status is critical, I must defer to your judgment as our chief medical officer."

Ratchet stares at Optimus.

"Isn't that what you wanted me to say?" asks Optimus.

The medic regains composure. "I reserve the right to exercise my judgment as chief medical officer, sir."

"You may go."

Ratchet salutes Optimus and leaves the control room.

_**Scene:**_ 12

"Skyfire: ETA?" asks Ratchet as he enters med bay.

"Supplemental," reports Skyfire over the comm link. "We're under attack."

"It's not too late. We can still hustle and get Edmonds' people to UNECOM like you wanted."

"We shouldn't have deviated from the flightpath to UNECOM in the first place."

"Prime's orders."

"Prime is wrong. Leader One is wrong," adds Skyfire, aware of Gobotron's official stance against "Cybertronian subversives".

Ratchet rolls his optics. "What about the nutcases attacking you?"

"The Decepticons being wrong is a given."

"If you can evade to an air base in Arizona, I can twist Optimus' arm..."

"Don't bother. Wrong or not, I respect Optimus' line of reasoning. We'll make it. Skyfire out."

Ratchet strokes a used helm. _For her sake, Skyfire: I hope so_.

_**Scene:**_ 13

Starscream, in root mode, observes the battle between his legions and the six Autobot jetwarriors.

"Yo, Creator!" quips Swindle over Starscream's comm link.

"How did you obtain this frequency?" the Air Commander demands.

"Not important. What is important is why Skyfire's burning his fuel reserves."

"Then tell me."

Blast Off cuts into the transmission. "According to the pirate scum piloting the space scows I intercepted and disabled, they had shot down a human female over this rock."

_Once again, Skyfire wants to save the humans_. Starscream strokes his chin, then smiles as he contacts his attacking forces. "Decepticons: discontinue pursuit."

"What?" radios Wingblade, dodging Slingshot's mortar fire. "We outnumber them, sir."

"We don't know where they're headed, fool!" Starscream hisses into the comm. "You all could fly right into a trap. Let them go!"

"Copy that, Air Commander," says Sunstorm over the comm.

_**Scene:**_ 14

"They...keep...coming!" hisses Silverbolt over the gestalt LAN.

"Then we keep killing, chief." Slingshot fires a salvo through a Two-A and Two-B as he responds.

"This is not a fun dogfight," says Air Raid, firing missiles at a group of Decepticons. "Especially since Screamin' Mimi sicced half the damn army on us."

Skydive fires his nega-gun at a Class One, disintegrating a tetrajet wing. "Escort missions are never fun."

The Decepticons break off their attack.

"They're leaving? I don't know whether to be relieved or worried," says Fireflight over the LAN.

"I'll be relieved when we land," adds Silverbolt.

"This is the most idiotic way for me to fly." Slingshot, in root mode, pouts; seated on top of Silverbolt.

"You're out of range, jack-aft. Walking is not an option."

"Don't relax!" orders Skyfire, tense. "They could return."

"Take it easy, Skyfire," says Air Raid.

"No! We cannot afford any mistakes!"

"Watch your LAN tone with my team," says Silverbolt. "We are exhausted."

"Then shut up. We must reach Headquarters."

"Take it easy..." Inside the white super jet, Edmonds smiles at Skyfire's brightly-lit control panel. "I'm already dying...and they're doing..."

"No! Stay with me, Edmonds. You won't die... You won't die...!" Skyfire notes the life support reading. _Her vital signs...are weak. She's critical._

_She doesn't deserve this._

Closing in on the Ark, Skyfire radios Teletraan One with his status.

_**Scene:**_ 15

"We've gotta do it." Ratchet pulls data schematics from a red CART unit prototype.

Shaking his head, Wheeljack grabs his tools. "Prime made it clear that-*"

Ratchet glares at Wheeljack. "Even he's been wrong before."

"You remember what happened the last time we shared our tech with other species?"

"Please-it ain't like back then. Right now we're doing the same thing we did for Spike when Megatron nearly killed him."

Sparkplug sheepishly raises his hand. "Some of us still remember how badly that went-and that was the _success_."

"We had no choice but to plug him into a robot drone that was already riddled with bugs," winces Ratchet. "That was almost six cycles ago. We took time to perfect the process since then."

"Still, if Optimus is leery of the plan..." Sparkplug trails off. _The hell with it. An argument with Ratchet while he's in Save-a-Life Mode is pointless._

"You and Jack can tell Prowl to make room in the damn brig for me next to Smokescreen-if that's what it takes."

"But Prime all but said 'Only if she's critical', Ratch," says Wheeljack as he tosses Ratchet a soldering laser. "We don't want to twist his words to say what we want them to mean."

Ratchet catches the tool. "The way Skyfire reported it, Edmonds _was_ critical; he and our air jockeys are busting their afts right now to get her to us-with Decepticons on their tails."

Sparkplug and Wheeljack look at each other.

"Just like your doctors out there," Ratchet continues, fixing his optics on Sparkplug, "I intend to be ready to do whatever it takes to save my patient when she gets here-orders be damned." The medic returns to his work.

"I've seen that look before," Wheeljack quips. "She was prettier, though."

"Yeah," spits Ratchet. "Sis would have already shot Optimus."

"Before or after she defected?" asks Sparkplug.

"Both. She was a full Caddie MT; you don't tell a Caddie not to fix something because of some fraggin' regulation." Ratchet finishes his work on a Caduceus MT shell.

First Aid rushes into the med bay. "Edmonds is here!"

Ratchet grabs the Caduceus shell and hoists it over his shoulder. "Let's move!"

_**Scene:**_ 16

Greer notes the Caduceus shell as Ratchet places it on the berth next to Edmonds' bed. "What is that?" he asks.

"It looks like a cross between Soundwave and Ratchet," notes Steen.

"It is a cross between Soundwave and 'Ratchet's' body molds," says Ratchet. "Caduceus MT."

Abernathy chuckles at the irony.

Sergeant Hauser grins at Prowl. "Optimus will be pissed. A Caduceus MT is a military-class machine on your world."

"According to Ratchet, Edmonds will be with UNECOM, which is under civilian jurisdiction and oversight. If Abernathy's smart," Prowl continues, "he won't abuse his authority."

"The hell with Prime: Abernathy would have to get through Newcastle," says Hauser.

Prowl widens an optic. "Why?"

Hauser smiles at Prowl. "Illogical human nonsense." The sergeant rolls up his sleeves and joins the army of medics, doctors, and scientists.

_**Scene:**_ 17

"Is she stabilized?" asks Ratchet.

"Yes, sir," answers Skyfire, still in jet mode.

"Okay, people, get ready: it's time to start the show." Ratchet claps his hands as Skyfire opens the loading hatch.

First Aid trembles as Edmonds unconscious body is wheeled out.

Ratchet smiles. _Now that's a survivor_.

"We've established the link between Edmonds and the shell," says Rest-Q. "Her neuroengrams are stable."

"If everything holds," adds Greer, "her entire personality should transfer to this robot body."

"The crisis is over?" asks Skyfire, haggard.

"We're at the most delicate stage," says First Aid.

"That, Autobot, is what I wanted to hear," says Starscream-startling the Autobots, Guardians, and humans.

"No. What are you doing here?" demands Skyfire.

"I followed you. I had to observe your new experiment, old friend." Starscream smiles at Skyfire. "Let me render my scientific opinion on your results."

Before the mechs on the ground could react, Starscream fires at Edmonds.

Skyfire drops to his knees, crestfallen.

Newcastle barks frenzied orders into a walkie-talkie, tears streaming down his face.

Hughes fires his service revolver at Starscream, howling curses at the Decepticon.

Inferno and Hot Shot turn on their fire suppression systems to contain the damage; the other Autobots open fire on Starscream.

Turbo and Rest-Q physically restrain Leader One from taking off.

Through it all, Starscream laughs. And laughs. And laughs...

An enraged Skyfire prepares to take off; however, the Caduceus' hand grips his arm.

"...Hope?" Skyfire stares at the white gynoid, who smiles weakly.

_**Scene:**_ 18

Edmonds turns her head to face an anxious, worried crowd of humans and machines, even as she notes her own inert body laying beside her. _Dante: I'm relieved... Humanity...stepped up to the plate after all..._

Familiar human faces: the military, the medical and science communities; Edmonds notes them all. _Not so much for me, huh...? No; a cure for cancer...and a modicum of self-respect is...more than enough..._

Names to faces. Edmonds commits to memory the faces of the two Newcastles: the only real family she had ever known on Earth. _Colonel: my only true father-in all but blood... Hughes... Lover of body and soul... Forgive me..._

Tears well up in her new optics; tears of joy. _It's good to know: my meager faith in mankind...isn't completely misplaced..._

_**Scene:**_ 19

"Let me go... I am grateful," says the gynoid, speaking with Edmonds' voice. "Seeing my people, my species, united..."

"Shut up, Doc," says Ratchet, a mad grin spread across his faceplate. "I've repaired worse than this. The transfer's a success. You beat him!"

"Don't bet on it, Autobot!" Starscream fires at both Edmonds and Ratchet, then transforms and leaves.

Ratchet keens as he clutches the fuel-soaked stump where his arm once was, while Skyfire tries to take off after Starscream. The Aerialbots tackle the super jet and pin him to the ground.

Amid the chaos, Edmonds-as human and gynoid-dies, a gentle smile on her face.

_**Scene:**_ 20

2 January 1982

_Women. All women._ Hope stared at the group of aliens-all, scholars, artists, and scientists; each one hailed from a different planet.

"What is your first impression of Primus Dei?" Dante asked Hope.

Hope smiled at the robot-who also hailed from an alien world. "It'll be fun to work in a secular convent."

"I see. Perhaps that makes me your 'Mother Superior'."

"You really have studied Earth culture."

"I am honored."

_**Scene:**_ 21

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Skyfire glares at the Valkyr JM femme who he pinned against a wall outside the cathedral.

"I came to retrieve her remains." The femme, Dante, breaks Skyfire's grip; returning the mech's glare.

"What right do you have to them?"

"The right of a mother-the only true mother that Hope Edmonds ever knew. The mother that Earth could not provide," continues Dante, "and the one that Hope deserved."

Skyfire's facial expression softens with understanding.

"I saw the light slowly return to her eyes, light that was stolen from her from years of abandonment, abuse, and neglect."

Skyfire winces. "Then why-?"

"I did not want her to return to this wretched planet-this place of strife and poverty of spirit." Dante tenses her fists. "In my view, Earth deserved nothing from Hope."

Skyfire starts to protest, but lets Dante continue.

"I was wrong." Dante relaxes her fists. "Who was I to stand against Hope's dreams?"

"Her 'Mother Superior'," answers Hughes. "Access to the one-way journal came with my promotion."

"I...I failed," continues Dante. "I should have been at her side: to ensure her safety."

Hughes nods. "That's what I was thinking, especially when you barged into the cathedral. However," Hughes continues, "I don't think you or anyone else could be prepared for space pirates."

"The Decepticons...are no help." Skyfire's frame trembles with fury, his optics burning in controlled rage.

Dante's optics, however, are muted; tears trickling down her face. "It was an honor and privilege to know Hope, and to work with her."

"Likewise," says Hughes, dabbing his eyes with a handkerchief that Raleigh had given him during the funeral service.

Skyfire turns from Dante and Hughes. He studies a forlorn Ratchet with a stony gaze.

"Are you alright?" asks Dante, noting Skyfire's turbulent expression.

"I made a promise," answers Skyfire. "One I intend to keep."

END ISSUE 22


End file.
